One year since Yarima landed in the United States - a bittersweet reflection
I was sifting through my 2020 Google Photos album and discovered that this time last year, my mother had landed in the United States. Hard to believe how quickly time has flown!
I want so share my bittersweet emotion and reflection invoked by this photo. Yes, I was happy that mom made it to the US. But the cost was great. And at times, I thought it may have been too much. At times, I didn't think I could do it.
I can guarantee you that behind those excited eyes was exhaustion, weariness, and frustration. I was on the brink of collapse as my nerves were shattered and my energy depleted. It was not easy getting her here. I'm sure, someday, there will be a tell-all event (like a documentary or a book) of what it took to bring my mom, an indigenous Yanomami woman from the depths of the Amazon jungle to the Poconos of Pennsylvania so she could reunite with her long last family separated for nearly thirty years with no contact (that was a mouthful).
This journey had all the elements of an epic odyssey. Adventure. Danger. Heartbreak. Loss. Love. Death. Betrayal. Hope. Happiness.
Sometimes, I feel a bit disconnected from the world in that it understands only the moment of Yarima being in the United States and not the path it took to make that moment happen. Of course, I recognize that unless someone truly lived and experienced what I had to go through, it would be difficult to fully comprehend, "I brought mom home to meet the family".
I confess that I have a newfound respect for my father and what he had to endure to bring his wife, the love of his life, to Pennsylvania to meet his parents. Don't get me wrong. I'm not looking for sympathy. I just want to...vent. Maybe I'm in still in the throes of a mild PTSD and it will take time to process it all.
One year later, I contemplate the meaning of everything that has happened in 2020. I can conclude, with utmost sincerity, that my success in bringing my mother here is attributed to all the good people in my life. They helped me physically, emotionally, and financially make my dream come true. The dream of bringing my family together just one more time. I was never alone. And that was enough to help me push through to the very end.
Thank you.
Purchase a signed copy of my book at: https://www.davidgoodamazon.com/product-page/autographed-copy-of-the-way-around
To support the Good Project's next expedition to Yanomami territory visit: https://www.jointhegoodproject.org/expedition2022